Folding chair.



W. R. MONTGOMERY.

FOLDING CHAIR.

APPUCATION FILED JULY 24,1915.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

flit-2y nyentor Atcqrneys W I Walk/151M? Witnesses "onrrnn erase FETCH.

WALTER R. MONTGOMERY, 0F SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO SOUTHERN FOLDING FURNITURE COMPANY, INC., OF SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA, A CORPORATION OF LOUISIANA.

FOLDING CHAIR.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed July 24, 1915. Serial No. 41,700.

article of furniture of that character which will be thoroughly substantial and convenient when erected, and which may be folded within a small space or compass, thereby enabling the chair to be conveniently stored or shipped when not in use.

It is also the object of the invention to provide a folding chair of extremely simple. yet efficient and practical construction, which may be cheaply and inexpensively manufactured, and which may be folded and unfolded without a troublesome operation. 7 y

The invention resides in the peculiar manner of assembling the component parts of the chair, whereby said parts may fold snugly together, and whereby the parts when unfolded can be securely held in place to prevent the accidental collapse of the chair when in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement'of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made 'Wltlllll the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a front view of the chair, portions being shown in section. Fig. 2 is avertical section of the chair taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken, on the same section line and illustrating the chair in folded position.

The chair comprises a seat 1, and a pair of front legs 2 connected by cross pieces or rungs 3, and the upper ends of the legs 2 are connected by hinges 4 with the lower surface of the seat 1, whereby the legs can swing backwardly against the bottom of the seat.

The chair also includes a pair of rear legs 5 which project upwardly abovethe seat, and which have their upper projecting por trons connected by the back 6 of the chair. The legs 5 may also be connected by a cross piece or rung 6 below the seat.

The legs 5 and rear edge portions of the seat 1 are pivotally or hingedly connected,

and to this end a transverse hanger or red.

7 is disposed below and carries the rear edge portion of the seat 1, and has upwardly projecting arms or hmbsS provided at their upper ends with outturned fingers 9 pivotally engaging in the adjacent sides of the legs 5 above the seat 1. The rear portion of the seat 1 is thus seated within the approximately U-shaped hanger 7, and the hanger or rod 7 is securely engaged to the.

bottom of the seat 1 by means of a pair of straps or clamps 10 secured to the seat and embracing the hanger adjacent the oppo site side edges of the seat. The seat, when the chair is erected, has a portion fitting between the legs 5 and under the back 6 to provide a snug and neat arrangement.

A plate or strip 11 is secured to the bottom of the seat adjacent the rear edge thereof and has an upwardly projecting tongue 12 projecting above the upper surface of the seat to normally engage upwardly in rear of the lower end of the back for preventing the forward movement of the seat 1 with respect to the legs 5.

When the chair is erected, the front and rear legs thereof are held in downward position relative to the seat 1, by means of a pair of inclined side arms or braces 13 having their intermediate portions pivotally engaged to the side edges of the seat and having their ends engageablewith the legs.

These arms or braces 13 may be constructed of wood, metal, or other resilient or springy material, and when constructed of wood, as illustrated, embody wooden strips 14 having their intermediateportions bowed outwardly or away from one another. After the strips 1 are bowed, during, the manufacture of the chair, strips 15 are secured to the outer sides of the strips 1 1 and serve to holdthe strips 14' in bowed shape, whereby the end portions of the arms or braces may be sprung outwardly, so that when they are released they will spring inwardly by the tension of the strips. The arms 13 are pivotally engagedbetween their ends, by means of suitable pivot elements 16 to the side edges of the seat 1 between the front and rear edges of the seat, and spacing washers 17 are preferably disposed between the seat 1 and arms 13 tospace the intermediate portions of the arms sufficiently away from the seat so that the ends of the arms will properly engage the legs. The ends of the arms or braces 13 are provided with apertures 18 engageable with dowels or pins 19 secured to and outstanding from the legs 2 and 5. The dowels 19 of the front legs 2 are located between the ends thereof and below the seat, while the dowels 19 of the rear legs are looated above the seat. The ends of the arms 13 are normally sprung into engagement over the dowels 19, whereby the arms will brace the legs and hold them in proper position relative to the seat, the arms being arranged obliquely or diagonally, as clearly seen in Fig. 2.

When the chair is folded, the ends of the arms 13 are sprung outwardly manually to disengage them from the dowels 19, and the arms 13 are then swung into the same plane as the seat 1. The legs 2 and'5 can then be swungagainst or toward the seat, as sug gested in Fig. 3, to bring the parts within the smallest possible space. The front legs 2 swing against the bottom of the seat while the upper surface of the seat swings against the upper portions of the rear legs. It will be noted that the hanger 7 permits the seat land rear legs 5 to swing into spaced planes arranged close together, whereby the seat will not interfere with the rear legs and back when the chair is folded.

When the chair is unfolded or erected, the seat 1 being swung downwardly at the proper angle with the rear legs 5 will bring the tongue 12 in rear of the back 6, and then .vhen the legs 2 are swunginto proper position, the arms or braces 13 may be swung:

and sprung into place for holding the parts in place.

Having thus described the invention, what.

is claimed as new is A folding chair comprising a seat, front legs hinged thereto to swing rearwardly and upwardly against the bottom of the seat,

rear legs having a back and disposed at the opposite side edges of the seat, a transverse rod disposed below the rear edge portion of the seat and having upwardly projecting arms extending pastthe side edges of the seat above the same, said arms having outt1. ned fingers pivotedly engaging the rear legs above the seat, clamps secured to; the

bottom of the seat to clamp said rods there-.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

